Well-Known Member

I've spent quite a bit more time actually reading and studying the newspapers than you might think. And often when I or others have looked for corroborating information, it can be found. I'll say this, anyone who thinks anything from the newspapers has to be automatically discarded is incorrect. They're a more valuable resource than that, particularly if one is attempting to study opinion.

Well-Known Member

I've spent quite a bit more time actually reading and studying the newspapers than you might think. And often when I or others have looked for corroborating information, it can be found. I'll say this, anyone who thinks anything from the newspapers has to be automatically discarded is incorrect. They're a more valuable resource than that, particularly if one is attempting to study opinion.

Well-Known Member

If we actually study real segregated militaries we fund that the greater the level of oppression the less segregated troops can be recruited.
For example the Republic of South Africa with a far greater population then Rhodesia could at best only establish one Infantry Battalion vs Rhodesia could recruit at least 6k men well over a brigade into the Rhodesian Army.
The other South African black Battalion was 32 Battalion composed of ethnic Bonoko (sp?) Angolans.
Point being oppressed people instinctively don't really want to fight for their oppressors.
Kirk's Raider's

Webmaster

If we actually study real segregated militaries we fund that the greater the level of oppression the less segregated troops can be recruited.
For example the Republic of South Africa with a far greater population then Rhodesia could at best only establish one Infantry Battalion vs Rhodesia could recruit at least 6k men well over a brigade into the Rhodesian Army.
The other South African black Battalion was 32 Battalion composed of ethnic Bonoko (sp?) Angolans.
Point being oppressed people instinctively don't really want to fight for their oppressors.
Kirk's Raider's

I think we can safely accept the account of what happened, though we can't really know what motivated these men. We know Mobile authorized a local Creole defense force in late 1862, confined to the city and county of Mobile, and we know this force was formed because they were turned down for Confederate service in 1863. So there was a non-white military presence in Mobile for several years, which could be a factor in black men ready to join up. However without any real information as to why they responded as they did, we can only speculate.

Well-Known Member

I think we can safely accept the account of what happened, though we can't really know what motivated these men. We know Mobile authorized a local Creole defense force in late 1862, confined to the city and county of Mobile, and we know this force was formed because they were turned down for Confederate service in 1863. So there was a non-white military presence in Mobile for several years, which could be a factor in black men ready to join up. However without any real information as to why they responded as they did, we can only speculate.